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Haven't heard if we will have any new food selections on the concourse this year.?

Related to this, I was viewing the promotional on PNC arena, I think being shown on WRAL, and 1 comment caught my ear. Along with gushing about renovations to the facility and the multimillions the commissioners are considering spending, they added that plans are to make it a "food destination"? Yeah, yeah, it's a food destination alright, much like McDonalds, Burger King and the like? Does have good barbeque though, just never any different foods.

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Related to this, I was viewing the promotional on PNC arena, I think being shown on WRAL, and 1 comment caught my ear. Along with gushing about renovations to the facility and the multimillions the commissioners are considering spending, they added that plans are to make it a "food destination"? Yeah, yeah, it's a food destination alright, much like McDonalds, Burger King and the like? Does have good barbeque though, just never any different foods.

There was talk ... and talk... about expanding a deck of restaurants over one of the sides. I think the south side, where the courtyard is now?

The idea was to have restaurants attached, and to have outside seating areas that would be controlled access during games, i.e. ticket members only. The restaurant(s) would be open at other times than games too. It all sounded like a good idea and all.

But. They did try the "dance party" in the current indoor restaurant idea one year. That fell pretty flat. The complaint was it really isn't what they want to do.

I did enjoy the outside seating when we went to a Panthers game years ago. For the Canes, there are a few good months one both sides of the season where this would be nice. And especially, ahem, if they make the playoffs.

The Mudcats opened Cattails Restaurant in the off season for many years. I think they gave up on that and stick to game days now. But come on, it is Zebulon!

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Dont know how much weather would effect it. If its covered and has space heaters I think even around here an outside eating area with either a window view of the ice or a huge tv would be pretty cool. I know in 16 when the WS was Tribe vrs Cubs we moved a tv outside by our fire pit, dressed up warm and watch 3 of the games. One of the best sports watching times I have had

Second-round draft choice, won a gold medal in a World Championship, has one Stanley Cup ring and was in the finals one other time, 484-game career and made decent money, yet he screams and cries about Mike Babcock "screwing him over" in 2002-03 by not playing him in favor of another player. Funnily enough, that player named only played four games in the AHL in his career. So missing four games in one season in the AHL is enough to hate a guy so bad that you call him "a piece of ****" and "hope he gets hit by a truck"?

That feud continued, at least from Commodore's end, when MC signed with the Red Wings in 2011. He claims that the only reason that Babcock played him was because Ken Holland (the GM) insisted, and that Holland traded him to Tampa "because he felt bad." He said that Babcock misled him by saying that the Wings wanted a physical presence, and that's the only reason he signed the contract.

He also claimed that Scott Arniel, the coach that came in when he was with Columbus in 2008-2011, hated single guys who were making lots of money, and that's why his playing time dropped off in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Of course, he never said a single thing about this until he retired. Said retirement came after he couldn't hang with AHL teams in 2012-13 and only played 31 games with a KHL team in 2013-14, scoring a grand total of six points.

I mean, really. We have fans and commentators and commenters savaging people like Nylander and Puljujarvi for saying publicly that they're not going to play if they don't get a new contract or that they are demanding a trade. Is what Commodore's doing any better, really?

tl;dr response - if MC can call Babcock a piece of excrement and publicly say he hopes Babcock "get hit by a truck", I'm completely in my rights to say that MC should die in a fire, right?

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Did I miss it when it happened or was there almost no comment on here when Ferland signed with Vancouver early July? Four years at an AAV of $3.5m. Both seem reasonable to me given his risk / reward ration. Gotta believe that if he'd have taken that deal with the Canes there's a good chance he'd still be in Raleigh. With the caveat that he did get a NMC for the first 2 years, and then a 10 team no trade list for year 3 and a 8 team no trade list for year 4. That might have been a sticking point for the Committee . . .

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It just seemed like something broke in the relationship between coach/committee and Ferland. Too bad though because his physical presence really helped, especially during certain games and stretches. Still we did pretty well without him too and we replaced his hitting with speed and skill. I think it will be even better, but there is a risk at losing him and DeHaan that the drop in physical might affect things. Of course people like to say that the physical is why the playoffs are a different beast, and yet we did pretty well mostly without Ferland in the playoffs.

Also Ferland has established that he is a complementary finisher in terms of offense. He generally does not create it, and when moved off the top line his points seem to dry up like a sponge in the sun.

I wish we had his physicality, but I think our increase in speed and skill will still be better.

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It just seemed like something broke in the relationship between coach/committee and Ferland. Too bad though because his physical presence really helped, especially during certain games and stretches. Still we did pretty well without him too and we replaced his hitting with speed and skill. I think it will be even better, but there is a risk at losing him and DeHaan that the drop in physical might affect things. Of course people like to say that the physical is why the playoffs are a different beast, and yet we did pretty well mostly without Ferland in the playoffs.

Also Ferland has established that he is a complementary finisher in terms of offense. He generally does not create it, and when moved off the top line his points seem to dry up like a sponge in the sun.

I wish we had his physicality, but I think our increase in speed and skill will still be better.

In my opinion, there really seemed to be bubbling resentment toward the end when Ferland's play dropped off as he moved down off the top lines, and his physicality seemed to wane? Then with Tripp chirping in our collective ears challenging his (Ferland's) manhood and there started on these boards a similar echo questioning whether he was dealing with some injury vs protecting himself for his next contract, all culminating in his playoff disappearance, I thought then that the powers that be were less than hyped about his return. I'd bet that the feeling was mutual. So that was that.

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The situation with Ferland at the end of the season reminded me of past family dealings where some couple (cousins, aunt/uncle in my case) were on the rocks, everyone knew it, yet they still attended the family holiday or birthday party.

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Ferland was a real bright spot the first half of the year playing w Aho and TT. With less gifted set up guys, his production tailed off and when he brought physicality, he seemed to get hurt a lot. I can’t help but notice that he produced best during our slow start, and was much less of a factor during the hot run to the playoffs. When he played his best at the beginning of the year, he was fun to watch though. I wish him well.

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The situation with Ferland at the end of the season reminded me of past family dealings where some couple (cousins, aunt/uncle in my case) were on the rocks, everyone knew it, yet they still attended the family holiday or birthday party.

Unpleasant. Uncomfortable. Weird.

I just think he refused to play through injury when he could have, despite being needed--because he was more concerned about being marketable for his impending free agency. Totally his call--and totally the Canes' to say sayonara. Little did he realize what ducking out would ultimately cost him, but now he knows. $3.5 million isn't even in the vicinity of his reported ask.

By the time you go as deep in the playoffs as the Canes did, everybody on the ice is playing hurt. Playing thorough it is "Playing for each other 101." Micheal failed the class, and paid the price.

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Maybe he really wanted to be back in Canada? Seemed to have a connection with family. Vancouver is still pretty far from Manitoba, but it is in the same passport zone. And he'll be playing western conference.

I guess my point is he may have high-balled the Canes on his ask knowing his real value was lower. But, hey, if someone's gonna take the high offer, then why not?

I'm going through this process with getting bids on house work. I've gotten some clear high ball offers -- and I'm not just being ugly about this. These are way out of bounds. They clearly are like: "Look, we have plenty of work, but if you want us, here's our offer..." Ultimately, that looks really bad to me for any future considerations I'd give the contractor, but whatever...

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I just think he refused to play when he could have, despite being needed, because he was more concerned about being marketable for his impending free agency. Totally his call--and totally the Canes to say sayonara. Little did he realize what ducking out would ultimately cost him, but now he knows. $3.5 million isn't even in the vicinity of his reported ask.

Everybody on the ice by the time you go as deep in the playoffs as the Canes did is playing hurt. Playing thorough it "Playing for each other 101." Micheal failed the class, and paid the price.

Thats kind of what I was saying top, except for one thing. To my way of thinking, and despite your implication that "everybody ------ is playing hurt", no one of us knows what was/is at stake in this player's life.Sure we can sit back in our easy chairs/arena seats and insinuate that his apparent acts of self preservation were somehow regrettably selfish or self centered, but then none of us know either what's at stake for him or how much toll his physical style of play effects his game. I understand and do selfishly regret his unable to perform, but likewise hope/pray that he does well elsewhere.

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I have to think that there are different situations and different players when it comes to what it would take to forego UFA. A guy who a team drafted, maybe late, and worked his way up and was given a chance and loves his situation, might take a touch less than his estimated UFA value. But another guy, who was traded just a year ago to his new team, a trade he didn't ask for, and then finds himself moved off the first line and accused of not playing through an injury? Probably put up a price higher than he thinks he'll get. Sort of like Xray's bid example. IMO that's what Skinner did. I don't begrudge him, but it took a massive overpay from Buffalo (IMO) to keep him off the UFA market.

In related news. The Aho thing keeps looking better and better as every high end RFA remains unsigned.

And in more related news, we almost have to hear something about Williams this week. Don't we? I'm still betting on tomorrow.

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Oh good point. I didn't even think of that. Tomorrow! Has to be tomorrow. The exception might be if Dorian sucks the oxygen out, then they might even do a just before camp thing. I'm going with tomorrow.

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Maybe he really wanted to be back in Canada? Seemed to have a connection with family. Vancouver is still pretty far from Manitoba, but it is in the same passport zone. And he'll be playing western conference.

I guess my point is he may have high-balled the Canes on his ask knowing his real value was lower. But, hey, if someone's gonna take the high offer, then why not?

I'm going through this process with getting bids on house work. I've gotten some clear high ball offers -- and I'm not just being ugly about this. These are way out of bounds. They clearly are like: "Look, we have plenty of work, but if you want us, here's our offer..." Ultimately, that looks really bad to me for any future considerations I'd give the contractor, but whatever...

At one point last season most people here thought he was worth north of $5m per. Then injury and production drop. I'm guessing he never adjusted his ask after that. The UFA market brought him back to a realistic position.

Without knowing any details I'm not willing to negatively brand Ferland for not playing. I still remember J.R. Richards and the Houston Astros.

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Thats kind of what I was saying top, except for one thing. To my way of thinking, and despite your implication that "everybody ------ is playing hurt", no one of us knows what was/is at stake in this player's life.Sure we can sit back in our easy chairs/arena seats and insinuate that his apparent acts of self preservation were somehow regrettably selfish or self centered, but then none of us know either what's at stake for him or how much toll his physical style of play effects his game. I understand and do selfishly regret his unable to perform, but likewise hope/pray that he does well elsewhere.

Personally I think his shoulder was spaghetti and he knew his limitations. He knew that a solid hit on it meant a trip to the locker room. No sense to keep playing unless you want to tie your shoes without bending over. It was evident that he tried but ending up leaving multiple games on any type of hit. I'll miss his grit. With our increased fire power obtained in the off season and all lines strengthened I have to think Ferland would of fit with several lines and produced as he did in the beginning of the season.